Changing Skins

(Raus aus der Haut)

Germany, 1997, 90 min, color
In German; English subtitles
Credits:
Director
Script
Editor
Camera
Set Design
Costume Design
Music (Score)
Cast
Production Company

Synopsis

The scene is East Germany in 1977, during the infamous Red Army Faction kidnapping of industrialist Hanns-Martin Schleyer in West Germany. A couple of East German teens are caught with contraband photos of West German Baader-Meinhof terrorists. In an attempt to divert the harsh punishment promised, they improvise an RAF-style kidnapping of the school principal.

 

Both a comedy of errors and a bitter social commentary, the film confirms Dresen's reputation as a leading director with a consummate film style.

Press comments

"Andreas Dresen's films open a window into the hearts and minds of everyday people facing-yet not always surmounting-life's challenges. Like Andrzej Wajda, Dresen consistently portrays the human condition with honest insight and compassion."
—American Cinema Foundation; Andrzej Wajda / Philip Morris Freedom Prize

 

“*** Recommended!”
Video Librarian

Availability

Buy the DVD
DVD Bonus Features:
  • Essay: "Youth Culture, Terrorism and German Film History"
  • An Introduction to Andreas Dresen's films
  • Biography & Filmography of Director
  • Interview with the Director
  • Timeline: Terrorism in West Germany 1967-1998

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